Page 19 of Relyn (Warriors of Etlon #6)

“That’s okay, big guy. I’ll protect you.”

It took Relyn a moment to decide whether she was talking to him or the cat. Her grin when she looked up at him, told Relyn she was joking.

They entered the hangar which was thankfully empty, and crossed over to the hatch. The tunnel was also empty and his mate was much more secretive about the code than Rutra had been. She made him hold the pet crate and had it open before he knew it.

Nora proceeded inside.

“Lock the door, and don’t open it for anyone but me,” Relyn said.

When she followed his order, he sighed in relief.

Nora was reasonably safe in the ship, as long as she didn’t open the door to anyone.

He trusted she had that much sense. He did not take any chances.

Relyn sprinted back to his quarters and grabbed his duffle and packed what little he had on the ship.

He slung it over his shoulder and another sprint back to the hangar.

He arrived just as Wendy, Gale, Rutra and Grom also appeared. Unfortunately, Ketle had just arrived, and when he saw Relyn, he let out a roar that echoed down the hangar and back.

Unsteady, Grom pulled out a laser rifle and trained it on Ketle. Rutra put a hand up, and shook his head. His eyes floated back and forth as he did.

“It was a fair fight, Ketle. Everyone saw it.”

“That female, she-”

“Wait. His female? You let his female get the best of you too?” Rutra asked.

“She shot me!”

“And you let her?” Rutra asked. “Go sleep it off, before I decide to make you take a long walk out of a short space hatch! I have business to conduct here.”

Relyn tried to make himself as non threatening as possible, all while palming a blade. Now that he’d punched Ketle once in his nerve center, the bastard was not likely to leave himself open to such an obvious attack.

“You,” Ketle said, pointing his entire arm length at Relyn. “You are dead. The next time we meet.” Apparently this was a sufficient enough threat and Ketle stomped off.

“Now, where were we?” Rutra asked, turning to Gale. “I apologize for the misunderstanding. In fact-” Rutra handed her a credit stick. “I’m even going to give you some business. These two have approached me regarding a desire to travel to, to… uh…”

“Terra,” Relyn supplied.

“Oh, yes, that’s it. Terra. Lovely place. I think. Very. Never been there myself, but that’s where they’re going,” Rutra said, dripping sweetness that anyone with two brain cells to rub together could see right through.

Gale said nothing. She just took the credit stick and walked toward the ship, Wendy hot on her heels. Relyn followed, and Grom slid in behind them.

Gale got to the ship and punched in the code. It didn’t work and punched it in again. “I believe Nora might have altered it.”

“Girl is smarter than I gave her credit for,” she said, pushing the com button.

“Hey, it’s me. Let me in,” she said.

A few moments later, Nora’s voice answered.

“Who’s me?”

“Me, me.”

“Is that Bright me? Or Gale me?” Nora asked calmly.

“Wendy’s here too,” she said.

There was an audible sigh before the door slid open. The four of them entered. Relyn closed the hatch behind them.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here before he changes his mind,” Wendy said. “Then we can talk.”

“Agreed,” Gale or Bright said, whatever her name.

Relyn went to Nora’s cabin to drop his weapons, not realizing that Grom had followed him.

He wasn’t sure what to do with the young Georgun.

Perhaps he’d follow his own advice and set him down on the first planet with good farmland that he could find, though, getting himself back in Rutra’s good graces without his nephew in tow would be more difficult.

Then there was the question of whether he wanted to go back to Alana’s Mercy.

No, he threw that thought away. If he did not go back, then it would be up to some other Mahdfel to finish his mission.

Relyn was already in and trusted, while multiple previous attempts had failed.

It would mean parting with Nora, even for a brief time, but surely once their relationship was fully in place, it would become easier to leave her someplace safe, like Sangrin or Terra.

“There are some crew cabins to the left. I suggest you take one of those,” Relyn said.

“Rutra said-”

“Listen kid, if you want to stay alive, you’re going to forget everything that Rutra said. You’re going to shut up and you’re going to listen. Rutra sent you because you’re expendable. He half expects Gale to shove you out an airlock the minute we get underway.”

“No, he said-”

“I just told you to forget Rutra. Now make yourself scarce, because I need to convince them that you’re harmless and worth keeping around. Otherwise, they will end up shoving you out an airlock.”

Grom just stood there, his mouth hole quivering for a good long moment.

“I said go. Out and to the left.”

The kid did leave, but it was clear he was confused as hell. He hadn’t figured out how his uncle would have sent him on such a dangerous mission.

Relyn found the three women in the cockpit. They’d released the docking ramps and cleared the hull of the Misery.

“Now,” Nora said. “Let’s talk.”